- Open Access
Topological-mass control of an emergent Kondo scale in an interacting Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain
Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023243 – Published 3 June, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/42vy-6vdw
Abstract
Topological bound states emerging at domain walls of dimerized chains provide a robust platform for exploring correlation effects beyond single-particle physics. When such a soliton state is coupled to a metallic substrate, local Coulomb interactions can give rise to Kondo screening. Here, we demonstrate analytically and numerically that, in an interacting Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain, the Kondo temperature is directly controlled by the topological mass that governs the bulk gap. Near the topological transition, the Kondo scale collapses linearly with the mass parameter while retaining its exponential sensitivity to hybridization. This establishes a minimal mechanism by which a bulk topological parameter quantitatively determines an emergent many-body energy scale. Our results clarify the strong configuration dependence of soliton-induced Kondo signatures observed in graphene nanoribbon systems on Au(111) and provide experimentally testable predictions for scanning tunneling spectroscopy.
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